The situation around the new coronavirus (Covid-19) is rapidly evolving. The nationwide lockdown that was introduced in March is being lifted in stages. The Stay Alert message has now replaced the previous Stay at Home directive as gradually more and more restrictions are lifted. The Test & Traceprogramme was launched on May 28th to help avoid a second peak.

Pharmacies are urged to read the available guidance carefully, keep up-to-date with developments and adjust their business continuity plans accordingly.

We will update this page as new information becomes available. You can find the current NHS public advice regarding Covid-19 on the following LINK. For the latest Covid-19 pharmacy news, click on the slider button below (please note this link will redirect to our sister website, Coventry LPC):

Because it’s a new illness, we do not know exactly how it spreads from person to person, but similar viruses spread by cough droplets or sneeze droplets. These droplets fall on people in the vicinity and can be directly inhaled or picked up on the hands and transferred when someone touches their face.

How long any respiratory virus survives will depend on a number of factors; for example:

what surface the virus is on

whether it is exposed to sunlight

differences in temperature and humidity

exposure to cleaning products

Under most circumstances, the amount of infectious virus on any contaminated surfaces is likely to have decreased significantly by 24 hours, and even more so by 48 hours.

Face masks play a very important role in clinical settings, such as hospitals but there’s very little evidence of widespread benefit from their use outside of these clinical settings. Face masks must be worn correctly, changed frequently, removed properly and disposed of safely in order to be effective.

Face coverings offer minimal benefit to the wearer, but may help you protect others and reduce the spread of the disease if you are suffering from coronavirus but not showing any symptoms.

Consider wearing a face covering if you have to use public transport to get to work, or are visiting a busy enclosed space where you can’t social distance such as a crowded shop.

What shall I do if a patient presents in my pharmacy with Covid-19 symptoms?

Patients should not be presenting in community pharmacies if they have COVID-19 symptoms as they have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Anyone who has case definition symptoms should be advised to go home and self-isolate. If they need advice, they should use NHS 111 preferably online. Pharmacies should manage the risk of cross-infection to staff/patients as normal for infectious diseases.

Updated guidance on PPEwas published by Public Health England (PHE) on 12 April 2020. If social distancing of 2 metres from patients attending the pharmacy can be maintained there is no indication for PPE in a pharmacy setting. If this distance cannot be maintained, use of fluid resistant surgical masks (FRSM) is recommended.

We recognise that some pharmacy staff cannot stay more than 2 metres away from symptomatic people and will need masks. It would be extremely helpful, both to protect longer term supplies to pharmacies and to keep supplies going to other health professionals, if pharmacies limit the number of staff that have to be within 2 metres of the public to help manage the use of masks and maintain availability.

Community pharmacies should use the PPE stock that has been delivered to them and, when needed, order more from their wholesaler. More stocks of fluid resistant surgical masks were made available to wholesalers to supply to community pharmacies on 9 April 2020.

PPE (masks, gel, aprons, gloves) has been available through the main wholesalers. The cost of this will be accounted for in the negotiations by PSNC over the total costs borne by pharmacies during Covid crisis.

Masks codes: Alliance 8019622, AAH NSU2A, Phoenix 676546

If you are unable to obtain the necessary PPE to meet the current guidelines from the wholesaler and have less than 3 days supply remaining then the Local Resilience Forums do hold a small amount of emergency stock which you can call upon.
Email: CV19PPE@warwickshire.gov.uk

Any organisation running critically short of PPE, and has exhausted other supply routes, can phone the National Supply Distribution Response (NSDR) on 0800 915 9964 for an urgent delivery.

If pharmacies have a printer, they are advised to print out the print-friendly black-and-white version. However, if they want a colour version and don’t have a colour printer, they can order the A3 or A4 colour versions online via, for instance, Vistaprint or another company.

PSNC has asked HM Government to print and distribute colour copies of these posters to pharmacies and we understand that PHE are now working to do that.

How can I contact my local PHE Health Protection Team (HPT)?

West Midlands East HPT

Public Health England5 St Philip’s PlaceBirminghamB3 2PW

Telephone: 0344 225 3560 (option 2)

Out of hours advice: 01384 679 031

How do I update my Business Continuity Plans?

All businesses and NHS providers, including community pharmacy contractors, need to have an ability to cope with emergency situations, so that wherever possible, they can continue to provide services to patients and the public. The following page contains guidance and resources to support business continuity planning and operations during emergencies, such as pandemic flu.

In addition, there’s an operational status reporting tool available from PharmOutcomes, You can find the user manual HERE. If a pharmacy declares a RED status i.e. is closing, completing the template will populate a closure notice that can be sent to the NHS England Regional Team (see email above).

It is at the convenience of the pharmacy to decide which of the above reporting forms/tools they choose to use.

Can I close my pharmacy to the public for a few hours each day to catch up on work?

The SOP gives pharmacies some flexibility in the hours in which they need to open to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically:

• If under significant pressure, at the discretion of the responsible pharmacist, pharmacies may close their doors to the public for up to 2.5 hours a day, including lunch.
• Community pharmacies are expected to be open to the public between 10am-12 noon and 2pm-4pm as a minimum (if these are contracted core or supplementary hours).
• Similarly, 100 hours pharmacies should be open from 10am–12pm and 2pm–6pm as a minimum.

A sign on the door must give information about how to contact the pharmacy if urgent help is needed.

What measures have been taken to help community pharmacies through the Covid-19 crisis?

In light of the developing COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that this is already having on community pharmacies, PSNC has gained agreement from NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a number of measures to help contractors.

There will be a second letter shortly from the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer but, in the meantime, we wanted to inform contractors that we have agreed:

Pharmacy Quality Scheme: the scheme will be postponed for three months and the period of delay will be kept under review. The released £18.75 million will be delivered to contractors for activity associated with the COVID-19 response.

Hepatitis C testing service: the introduction of this Advanced Service will be delayed from April 2020 for at least three months.

Pharmacy Integration Fund pilots: the three pilots announced last month (blood pressure testing; stop smoking support; and point of care testing) have been postponed until further notice.

Community Pharmacist Consultation Service: existing pilots for GP referrals to the service will remain in place, but will not be extended at this time.

Community pharmacy patient questionnaire (CPPQ) and pharmacy clinical audits: NHSE&I will not take action against contractors who have not completed these by 31st March 2020.

Practice leaflets: NHSE&I will not take action against contractors who have not updated their practice leaflets during the period of the pandemic.

Public health campaigns: for the time being, these will only be focused on the national COVID-19 response.

Data Security and Protection Toolkit: the current submission deadline has been amended from 31st March 2020 to 30th September 2020.

Yes, community pharmacy staff and those involved in the medicines supply chain, including the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector, are key workers critical to the Government’s COVID-19 response, and therefore schools remain open for their children to attend during the Coronavirus crisis.

Key workers include all staff working in community pharmacies, pharmacy contractors’ head office staff, delivery drivers, volunteers, as well as those involved in the manufacturing, assembly and delivery of medicines for supply by community pharmacies, such as staff working for pharmaceutical wholesalers.